What is a cloud phone?

A cloud phone is a real Android device that runs in the cloud.

You do not hold it in your hand. Instead, you open it in Multilogin and control the screen from your computer. Cloud phones help when your task needs a real mobile environment, not a desktop browser pretending to be one.

With cloud phones, you get:

• Real Android devices you can access from your desktop
• Separate devices for different tasks or accounts
• Realistic device fingerprints and system properties
• ARM-based hardware, like normal smartphones
• Dynamic sensor, battery, carrier, and network data
• Less hardware to buy, charge, update, and protect from coffee

This makes cloud phones useful for mobile workflows where apps expect a real phone-like setup.

What cloud phones can and can't do

Cloud phones are built to look and behave like real Android devices. Still, some things are not manually editable or supported.

You can't manually change:

• IMEI
• Serial number
• Android ID
• Build ID
• Bootloader status
• Other device identifiers

These values are generated automatically based on real device data mapping.

You also can't use cloud phones to:

• Send or receive SMS codes
• Make or receive phone calls
• Use eSIMs

If you need SMS codes or phone calls for account verification, use an SMS service provider. Read the article How to complete SMS verification using Multilogin cloud phones for more info.

How cloud phones work

Real device, not an emulator

Cloud phones are real Android devices running remotely.

When you open one in Multilogin, you control a real device screen from your computer. The app sees a mobile environment, not a regular desktop browser setup.

ARM-based hardware

Cloud phones run on an ARM-based Android environment.

That means the hardware setup follows real mobile device standards, including:

• Device model
• CPU
• GPU
• RAM
• Android system version

These combinations match real-world phone logic, so the setup looks natural to mobile apps.

Native mobile rendering

Apps and websites render inside a real Android environment.

This helps mobile-first platforms see the device as a phone, with phone-like system properties, hardware details, and behavior signals.

How fingerprints and identifiers work

Each cloud phone gets its own fingerprint.

Even if two cloud phones use the same brand and model, they still have different hardware-level identifiers. Just like two real iPhones or Android phones are not identical twins. Same family, different personality.

Cloud phones generate device data based on real brand, model, and Android version rules, including:

• Android ID
• IMEI
• GAID
• Build properties
• Device model
• Brand
• System properties

Apps such as TikTok and Instagram can read these values as part of the device environment.

Sensors, battery, and network data

Cloud phones also simulate small background signals that apps may check. These details help the device feel less “empty” and more like a real phone in daily use.

Sensors

Cloud phones simulate dynamic sensor data, including:

• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• Magnetometer

This means sensor values are not frozen in one place. They change in the background to better match natural phone behavior.

Battery

Battery level changes based on usage time. Cloud phones also simulate normal battery states, such as charging and discharging.

This helps avoid fixed battery data, where a device always shows the same percentage or state. Real phones do not stay at 87% forever. Cloud phones don't either.

Carrier and location

By default, carrier and phone number information match the configured IP region.

For example, if you use a US IP, the system can assign a US carrier such as AT&T and align GPS location with that region.

This helps the device setup look more consistent because the phone environment, carrier data, GPS location, and IP region point to the same place.

FAQs

Can I manually edit IMEI, Android ID, serial number, or build ID?

No. Device information can't currently be modified manually. Cloud phones generate these values automatically based on real device data mapping.

Do identifiers stay consistent?

Yes. Identifiers stay consistent while the cloud phone exists. After you delete or reset the device, the system creates new identifiers based on the device brand, model, and Android version.

Do different cloud phones share the same fingerprint?

No. Each cloud phone has a unique fingerprint. Even devices with the same brand and model have different hardware-level identifiers.

Can cloud phones pass emulator or integrity checks?

Most apps do not detect cloud phones as emulators. 

Financial apps may use stricter checks, including Google Integrity. For these cases, Android 16 is recommended because it is designed to support Google Integrity checks